My iMac G5 crapped out and when I ran the disc utility it resulted in "Volume Mac HD failed error -9972 Volume 1 could not be repaired" HJ diags all passed. I tried Disc Warrior but when the directoryscreen came up the Mac HD was not an option. What goes?

Sounds like the drive is indeed bad... Sorry 😟

If you're on a PM G5, the drives are standard SATA I drives that can be bought off the shelves at any computer/electronics retailer. The replacement process is very simple, as well, and requires only a Phillips screwdriver. You will, however, need an OS (or restore) disc to reinstall Leopard. Good luck!

If your system is a June 2004 PM G5, you can definitely run 10.5.8 on it. Anything newer than that, though, will require an intel processor 😟

Keep in mind that 10.5 has slightly higher hardware requirements than 10.4, so while the computer will be able to run it just fine, you might notice a slight "slow-down" in its general operation. Not sure how much RAM you have, but since you're going to be adding a new HD, might as well take the opportunity to max out the RAM in the process, since it's not that expensive and it could make a nice difference (here's an example of how much that would cost).

And as far as the Apple Store... yes, unfortunately that model is in the "Obsolete" list (last manufactured 7+ years ago), so they no longer support it. But the HD install process in itself is very simple and straight-forward, or you can also check out this site for any authorized Apple repair centers in your area (they can usually work on older models, specially if the part needed is a standard, off-the-shelf part). I have a few recommendations if you're in the Southern California area, but other than that, Apple's service locator site should provide you with more than enough options. Good luck!

Yes, those drives should work. And double check your memory specs, your computer should be able to go to 4GB of RAM (or 8GB if you have a dual-processor system).

Being that the new drive is blank, you'll have no choice but to do a clean install. Make sure the drive is partitioned first, or else the installation won't see an available volume onto which the OS can be installed. Are you familiar with the process in Disk Utility?

10.5 brings a few improvements over 10.4, including time machine and the ability to run newer versions of programs (like safari and other modern browsers, iTunes, etc). You can pick up a copy of 10.5 for pretty cheap on eBay.

And yes, I would recommend upgrading in steps (10.3 to 10.4 to 10.5), since skipping the Tiger step has given me issues before. Definitely install all your software before hand so that you get the iLife software and all of that once you're in 10.5.

No problem!

One at a time:

1. Erase and Install is only relevant when you're installing the OS on a volume that already has an OS (or just data) in it. In this case, because the drive you'll be using is blank, you don't have a choice but to do that type of install. Same as a "clean install". Which is fine, btw.

2. When you're in the initial screens of the installer, after booting to Disc 1, you'll see a menu bar on top. Click on Utilities, and Disk Utility. On the left-hand side you'll see the new drive you (will have) just installed, with no volumes underneath it. Click on the drive, click on the Erase tab, give the volume a name, and click "Erase". That will partition the drive and create a single volume in it, onto which you can install the OS. If you don't do that step, when you get to the point in the installation where you have to select where to install the OS, you won't see any available volumes.

3. You only had one hard drive in that computer, correct? Just asking so you make sure that you delete and install the OS on the right one (easiest way to avoid any mistakes is to simply disconnect the SATA/Power cable from the secondary drive).

I would first run all updates on the OS. Also, which is will you be upgrading to? (Or are you stopping at 10.3?)

Once all updates have been run, you can simply copy the contents from the [HomeFolder]/Desktop folder in your backup to the corresponding in your computer, and so on. The only tricky one will be the [HomeFolder]/Library, since that one has contents that might not be needed until you install your apps. I'd leave that one for after you're done installing all your software. By the way, is your backup in some kind of compressed form, or are the files readily available?

Also, to avoid permission problems, I would create the new user in the computer with the exact same name as you had it before (i.e., the name of the home folder in your backup). While permission errors can be corrected, it'll save you a great amount of time if you don't even have to worry about it.

Also, which OS were you using before the hard drive failed?

Yes it is 🙂

Did the install ask you for all the discs in the restore set? if not, you can go back and re-do the installation, making sure you select all components during the installation process.

When you say you're missing updates, which ones are you talking about?